Cane or corn topper.



No. 743,516. PATENTED Nov. 10, 1903.

E. JONES & T. W! OLINE. GANE 0R 001m TOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20,-1903.

NO MODEL.

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4% 4 W w fl flbl'omwga/ No. 743,516. Patented November 10, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST JONES AND TOD W. OLINE, OF BURROAK, KANSAS.

CANE OR CORN TOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,516, dated November0, 1 03- Application filed May 20,1903. Serial No. 157,945. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- lower edge of the base, so that they maylie Be it known that we, ERNEST JONES and at opposite sides of the end 6of the wagon- TOD W. CLINE, citizens of the United States, body andsnugly receive the latter between residing at Burroak, in the county ofJewell, them. Adjacent to the opposite end of the 5 State of Kansas,have invented certain new base 5are two other cleats, 8, which are seanduseful Improvements in Cans or Corn cured at right angles to the base,and which Toppers; and we do hereby declare the folcleats. extend bothabove and below the base, lowing to be a full, clear, and exactdescripthe cleats being at opposite sides of the base, tion of theinvention,such as will enable others as illustrated, so that the end 6of the wagon- 10 skilled in the art to which it appertains to body isreceived between their lower end pormake and use the same. tions. Thetwo sets of cleats thus serve to t This invention relates to implementsfor effectively hold the base 5 against lateraldistopping cane, Kafircorn, or other plants placement from the end of the wagon-body. where itis desired to harvest the tops and The cleats 8 extend some distanceabove the 15, leave the plants or stalks in the field, although base 5,and between their upper ends is seit will be understood that theapparatus may cured a block 9 for a purpose to be presently be set up ina banner other locality and the explained. materials to be toppedbrought and fed to it. A knife 10 is provided, and consists of a Theobject of the invention is to provide a blade which is disposed againstthe side of 20 topper which will consist of few parts conthe base 5, soas to project thereabove, and nected "in such manner that they may be towhich side it is held by means of bolts 11, easily and quickly replacedwhen worn and 12, and 13, the bolt 13 passing also through which willcooperate in such manner as to a cleat 14:. The cleat, as shown in Fig.1, is obtain most efiicient result. of reduced proportions intermediateof its 2 5 A further object of the invention is to proends, the endportion being of greater thickvide a construction which may be easily apness than the intermediate portion, resulting plied to and removedfromasupport,such as in a shoulder 15, the upper unreduced porthe sideof a wagon-body, and in which the tion forming a stop for the blade. Thebolt various parts may be quickly and easily as- 11 at the opposite endof the blade 10 serves 0 sembled and disassembled and many of which alsoas a pivot for a cooperating blade 16,

parts will operate for difierent purposes. which lies close against thesides of the blade In the drawings forming a portion of this 10 and atits free end is provided witha hanspecification, and in which likenumerals of dle 17, which is connected thereto at the opreferenceindicate similar parts in the several posite side from the blade 10 tofacilitate the 5 views, Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing making ofa close shear cut when the upper an implement embodying the presentinvenblade is lowered. tion mounted upon one end of a wagon. Fig. Tohold the blade 16 normally and yield- 2 is a top plan View of theimplement and the ably in raised position, a helical spring 18 is gowagon. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of attached thereto adjacentto the handle and 40 a line within and transversely of the wagonisattached also to the block 9, which is sebody. cured between the upperends of the cleats 8.

Referring now to the drawings, the present In the operation of thetopper the wagon is topper comprises a base 5 in the form of a hauled toa shock and the sheaves are suc- 5 board having the thickness of the endof the cessively raised and disposed with their up- 5 ordinarywagon-body, and which board is per ends or tops between theshear-blades, adapted to rest with its lower edge upon the after whichthe upper blade is swung downupper edge of the end 6 of a wagon-body.'wardly to cooperate with the lower blade and To hold the baseor board 5against lateral out 01f the tops. When the blade is released, 10odisplacement from the end 6,while permitting the helical spring-raisesit to its normal posi- 50 removal thereof vertically, cleats? are setionand holds it ready for the next operacured against the opposite faces ofthe base tion. The tops that are out off fall into the 5 adjacent to oneend and project below the wagon-body and when the latter is filled maybe hauled to a bin. With this arrangement the same waste does not occuras when the tops are cut off upon the ground, while gathering of thetops after the cutting is dispensed with. n

It will be understood that in practice modifications of the specificconstruction shown may be made and thatany suitable materials andproportions may be used for the various parts without departing from thespirit of the invention.

It will be noted that the portion of the cleat 15 that projects abovethe blade 10 forms a stop which prevents the material being cut fromsliding from between the shearingblades, and the cleat'may have itsinner edge portion sharpened to form a supplemental blade, which Willalso cooperate with the blade 16' when the latter descends.

WVhat is claimed is- 1. A topping-machine comprising a base havingcleats secured against opposite faces thereof adjacent to each end andadapted to receive the end of a wagon-body between them, the cleats atone end of the base being continued thereabove and having a connectingmember, a shearing blade disposed against and projecting above the base,attaching-bolts engaged through the cleats and base, a metallic cleatheld against the sides of the base and one end portion of the blade andprojecting above the latter to form a stop,

saidcleat having a perforation in its lower end engaged upon one of theattaching-bolts of the blade, the inner edge of said cleat beingsharpened to form a cutting-blade, a third blade through which theattaching-bolt of the first blade at the opposite ends from the stop ispassed, a handle attached to the third blade at the opposite end thereoffrom the first blade, and a helical spring attached to the second bladeand to the connecting member of the upwardly-projecting cleats.

2. A topping-machine comprising a base having cleats secured againstopposite faces thereof adjacent to each end and adapted to receive theend of a wagon-body between them, the cleats at one end of the basebeing continued thereabove and having a connecting member, a shearingblade disposed against and projecting above the base, attaching-boltsengaged through the blade and base,

a cleat held against the sides of the base and one end portion of theblade and projecting above the latter to form a stop, a second bladethrough which the attaching-bolt of the first blade at the opposite endfrom the stop is passed, a handle attached to the second blade at theopposite side thereof from the first blade, and a helical springattached to the second blade and to the connecting member of theupwardly-projecting cleats.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ERNEST JONES. TOD W. CLINE.

